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betharanova's review against another edition
2.0
What happened!! What happened?! I loved the first book so much!
I was so excited to return to this captivating fae world for Round 2: Romance the Problematic Fave. I was especially grateful that the author never tried for a love triangle, but rather spent book one introducing Sigurd and now allowed him his own love interest in the sequel. Sigurd is such a petty, manipulative bitch that I believed a book about him HAD to be fun and interesting!
But I was wrong! The Sigurd we encounter in this book is simply a brooding, winged set of washboard abs. No one in his court respects him—though I'll grant you that this time we were only introduced to three (3) side characters, so the sample is small. But to watch the whole cast wag their fingers at the King of Air and scold him, and he just sullenly takes it?? It's so unsexy. He has no apparent power in any dynamic or situation. Sure, he bound the protagonist Wren to his court, but that was kind of an accident and he feels really bad about it. And even though he doesn't want her to leave, he supports her decision to try to get the bond removed, because it's Her Choice. Gag me with a spoon.
Sigurd really just broods over his past and the responsibility of being king, growls protectively over Wren, and models sexily for her. He doesn't DO anything in basically the entire plot.
I wanted to like Wren more. She's the caretaker and breadwinner of her home, and she reads like a practical Southern woman with a fiery temper whose first priority is her family. But something about the romance obscured her characterization much of the time. The insta-lust? How quickly she got over being unwillingly bound? I didn't really buy the romance anyway, but I don't think that was Wren's fault. It was that she stood opposite the empty husk of the former biggest bitch on the block and interacted with all of three other characters. I think she's a good protagonist, she just needs to meet way more people. Better, more powerful people.
The rating is for the two shining stars of this book. Galen shines brightest. The MVP of book one makes his return, and he is simply the best. The other bright spot? The Unseelie content. We got more lore and more characters, including an Unseelie king. I am ready to love.
Just please, let them be terrible and interesting!!
I was so excited to return to this captivating fae world for Round 2: Romance the Problematic Fave. I was especially grateful that the author never tried for a love triangle, but rather spent book one introducing Sigurd and now allowed him his own love interest in the sequel. Sigurd is such a petty, manipulative bitch that I believed a book about him HAD to be fun and interesting!
But I was wrong! The Sigurd we encounter in this book is simply a brooding, winged set of washboard abs. No one in his court respects him—though I'll grant you that this time we were only introduced to three (3) side characters, so the sample is small. But to watch the whole cast wag their fingers at the King of Air and scold him, and he just sullenly takes it?? It's so unsexy. He has no apparent power in any dynamic or situation. Sure, he bound the protagonist Wren to his court, but that was kind of an accident and he feels really bad about it. And even though he doesn't want her to leave, he supports her decision to try to get the bond removed, because it's Her Choice. Gag me with a spoon.
Sigurd really just broods over his past and the responsibility of being king, growls protectively over Wren, and models sexily for her. He doesn't DO anything in basically the entire plot.
I wanted to like Wren more. She's the caretaker and breadwinner of her home, and she reads like a practical Southern woman with a fiery temper whose first priority is her family. But something about the romance obscured her characterization much of the time. The insta-lust? How quickly she got over being unwillingly bound? I didn't really buy the romance anyway, but I don't think that was Wren's fault. It was that she stood opposite the empty husk of the former biggest bitch on the block and interacted with all of three other characters. I think she's a good protagonist, she just needs to meet way more people. Better, more powerful people.
The rating is for the two shining stars of this book. Galen shines brightest. The MVP of book one makes his return, and he is simply the best.
Spoiler
Is it the exact same plot twist again? Yes. But he's so Good and tortured.Just please, let them be terrible and interesting!!
raccoon_rach's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shortstack1030's review against another edition
Just wasn’t finding myself wanting to pick it up again and get back into the story.
words_and_dreams's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
'With barely a glance, I know who it is, who plays this song that might break me and put me back together at the same time.'
The second installment in the Courts Of Faery Series. This follows Wren, a bartender, who after a escaping a robbery finds herself accidentally in Faery. She ends up bound to Sigurd, the Fae King Court of Air and he says that she cannot leave. As always with the author, I enjoy her writing style it flows easily with enough world building to ground environment.
I liked the heroine and how she went after what she wanted, not letting anything stop her. I admired her love for her family and how she cares for her Grandmother and gow she builds friendships with Moria, Lysandir and Galen. Sigurd is more mysterious, his motives slowly unveiled. I'm glad that although there was attraction at the start between the couple, the romance was not rushed and Wren did not let it distract her from her goal. She found a solution for everyone.
I wished we could have seen more of the Unseelie Court and their King, and really hope he gets his own book. 🙊
The second installment in the Courts Of Faery Series. This follows Wren, a bartender, who after a escaping a robbery finds herself accidentally in Faery. She ends up bound to Sigurd, the Fae King Court of Air and he says that she cannot leave. As always with the author, I enjoy her writing style it flows easily with enough world building to ground environment.
I liked the heroine and how she went after what she wanted, not letting anything stop her. I admired her love for her family and how she cares for her Grandmother and gow she builds friendships with Moria, Lysandir and Galen. Sigurd is more mysterious, his motives slowly unveiled. I'm glad that although there was attraction at the start between the couple, the romance was not rushed and Wren did not let it distract her from her goal. She found a solution for everyone.
I wished we could have seen more of the Unseelie Court and their King, and really hope he gets his own book. 🙊
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Death of parent, Vomit, and Violence
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